The name in question is Enroughty but it is pronounced Darby. What! How could that be? The English language is a funny thing and most rules have many exceptions. For instance the words goal and jail have the same meaning and pronunciation. This can happen when the spelling from one locality is accepted and the pronunciation from another. But Enroughty---Darby?

It seems that in the mid 1700s a young lady from the Enroughty family (an old and proud English family, but dirt poor) ran off and married a young man by the name of Derby (pronounced Darby) who was "in trade". Naturally she and her husband were snubbed by the proud Enroughtys.

The years passed and old Mr Derby (pronounced Darby) was a childless widower, but wealthy. The Enroughtys were his only heirs and he decided to have his revenge for the years of snubs. He left all his money to the Enroughtys with the proviso that they change their name to Derby (pronounced Darby). Naturally they wanted the money but also wanted to keep their hallowed name. Well one of them came up with a solution. They would change their name to Derby but spell it Enroughty. And that's what they did and got the money.

Fast forward about 100 years and some of the Enroughty-- Derbys (pronounced Darby) bought land and settled in Virginia and lived in Darby House on their farm.

In 1862 General McClellan decided to invade Virginia to capture Richmond. General Lee had other ideas and beat him badly. The Army of the Potomac was in full retreat (what was left of them) to Harrison's Landing on the James River where ships could take them back to Washington. Lee wanted to cut them off and finish the job of destroying the Yankee army. He ordered General Longstreet to set up his division near Darby House on Darbytown Rd. to block the retreat. No problem except on the map that Longstreet had there was no Darby House, his map said Enroughty. By the time the confusion was sorted out the Union Army has passed by and lived to fight another day.

Shakespeare said a Rose would smell as sweet no matter what you called it. Not so the name of Enroughty (pronounced Darby).

As of 1948 there were still Enroughtys living in Darby House and calling themselves Darby and maybe they still are .